1829.] Rotherham Bridge.-Bromley Church, Kent. ROTHERHAM BRIDGE. THE accompanying Plate is a specimen of the embellishments of Allen's "History of Yorkshire," now in the course of publication. The town of Rotherham, situated in the Deanery of Doncaster, about six miles from Sheffield, takes its name from the river Rother, which joins the Don at a small distance from the town. The latter river, which is that seen in the engraving, is navigable to Sheffield, and communicating with other rivers and canals, opens a water intercourse with all the principal towns in the county, as well as those of Lincolnshire and Lancashire. The ancient Bridge retains one of those chapels, which were formerly such frequent companions of bridges. Another remains at Wakefield, and has also a plate in Mr. Allen's work.. Rotherham ranks with Wakefield as one of the two greatest cattle-markets in Yorkshire. The town is not elegant; the houses, which are chiefly of stone, having in general a dull and dingy appearance. The Church is one of the most beautiful in that part of England. It was erected in the reign of Edward the Fourth; and chiefly by the munificence of Thomas Scot, alias Rotherham, Archbishop of York, who was a native of the town. Its form is a cross, from the centre of which rises a graceful spire, seen in the view. Rotherham Bridge unites to the town the village of Masborough, where are the celebrated founderies of the Walkers. There was forged the bridge of Sunderland, the first of any size built of iron in this country. Near them is the meeting-house erected by Samuel Walker, the great founder of the family, who died in 1782. Here also is a college, of the first esteem among Protestant Dissenters, styled the Rotherham Independent Academy. 201 be the probable result to ancient vestiges in the Church of such desecrating and destructive appearances. I beg, therefore, through the medium of your and may be able to protect the antiquipages to point out to those who respect ties attached to Bromley Church, the matters which are peculiarly worthy of their vigilance. Imprimis. There is a fine ancient font, if not of the Saxon, certainly of the earliest times of the Norman period. It is square, sufficiently large for the immersion of the infant, and the sides are ornamented with ranges of plain circular arches. Any improvement of the situation of this relic would be to remove the clumsy pedestal of brick on which it stands, and supply it with a circular supporting pillar at each angle, after the example of many fonts of the same time existing. There is a curious ornamented Gothic arch of the early part of the 13th century, in the north wall of the chancel. This has been conjectured (I believe erroneously) to be a tomb; it is rather the sepulchre, in which in Popish times the interment and resurrection of our Saviour was represented on the commencement of the festival of Easter. There has been a fine east window, the elegant pointed arch still remains; the arch should be re-opened, and the tracery of the interweaving mullions restored from a good example. Some heraldric coats might be placed in the window with good effect. The Corinthian altar-piece, which has hitherto so glaringly violated the unity of design, should be entirely removed. The windows should be re-gothicised; about half a century since they were all deprived of their proper character. There are some brasses and memorials in the Church worthy of more particular preservation; I would not imply that it is otherwise than a barbarous sacrilege to destroy any monuments of the dead. Of modern sepulchral tablets, Dr. Hawkesworth's against the wall of the ful inscription. So is Mrs. Elizabeth north aisle is remarkable for its beautiMonk's at the exterior east end of the Church. PA ASSING through the town of Bromley in Kent the other day, I found the old Church there nearly pulled down, nothing remaining but the well-The Church door is a good specibuilt Gothic tower, and portions of the side walls. The gates of the churchyard were fortified with a palisade, so that it was impossible for an antiquary to enter, and satisfy himself what might GENT. MAG. September, 1829. men of the taste for ornament prevailing in the 14th century; a few mouldings in oak, after the original model, nailed on in the defective places, would restore it to its original appearance. 202 Biographical Memoirs of Sir Lewis Dyve. The cockney cupola should be removed from the tower, which needs little further attention, but that a fine western window in the lower stage is bricked up. In an age of such high pretensions to taste and knowledge, I trust these observations will meet with consideration. VIATOR ANTIQUARIUS. MEMOIRS OF SIR LEWIS DYVE. (Continued from p. 128.) WHE Mr. URBAN, Sept. 7. 7HEN I first proposed to transmit to you such biographical particulars as had then occurred to me relative to Sir Lewis Dyve, I little anticipated to find so many or such extensive memorials of him as I have already communicated. From the circumstance of no memoir of him having been previously published (not even, as far as I am aware, in the form of a note to any historical work,) I supposed that his name was one, of which indeed one or two remarkable anecdotes were incidentally preserved, but which had not particularly attracted the notice of posterity. Since the first announcement of my design, however, I have been favoured with the communications of two correspondents,-one a lineal descendant of Sir Lewis, and the other a native of the same village as our Knight. Both these gentlemen had collected, in manuscript, memoirs of Sir Lewis Dyve; and the latter has opened to me such ample stores, that I am now obliged to retrace my steps in point of time; and I believe the following additional particulars of Sir Lewis's history, previously to his imprisonment in the Tower, will occupy as much space as you can allow to one communication. We re-commence, then, quite ab ovo, and have first the record of Sir Lewis's baptism in 1599 from the register of Bromham : "Lewis, the son of the Rt Worshipful Jno Dyve and Mrs. Beatrice his wife, born * Among the family portraits at Sherborne Lodge, is one by Vandyke, in which the Earl, as in Houbraken's print, is accompanied by his wife, a pretty woman, looking at him, in blue, with a red feather on her head, and a red knot on her laced handkerchief, her left hand on the shoulder of a boy with a gold chain and red coat, and by him another with a slashed striped coat and red gown:" probably the Earl's two sons, and the eldest not Sir Lewis Dyve? [Sept. 3d Nov. being Saturday bet. 11 and 12 at night. Bapt. 25th. Godfathers Mr. Francis Goodwin, the Lord St. John of Bletsoe in his own person, and Mrs. Boteler of Byddenham, deputy for the Countess of Warwick." + the same noble patroness as before occurred, petitioning for Mr. Dyve's restoration to the roll of magistrates. The following entry of the baptism of Sir Lewis's son Francis was transferred to the register of Bromham from that of Melbury Sampford: "1632. Franciscus Dyve, Ar. fil. Dom. Lodovici Dyve, Militis, et D'næ Howardæ uxoris ejus, natus erat apud Melbury in com. Dorset, 4° die ejusd. mens. susceptores erant prænobilis et honorandus Dom. Dom3. Franciscus Comes Bedfordia, Arthurus Chichester, et prænobilis et honoranda Dom' D'na Beatricia Comitissa de Bristol." The Earl of Bedford was nephew to the Countess of Warwick, who had been Sir Lewis's own sponsor; the other godfather was the child's uncle by marriage, who was afterwards created Earl of Donegal. In 1634 we find Sir Lewis Dyve performing an active part in a quarrel between his half-brother Lord Digby, and Mr. (afterwards Lord) Crofts. The circumstances are thus related in a news-letter from the Rev. George Garrard to the Earl of Strafford, dated June 3, that year: "The Lord Digby and young William Crofts of the Queen's side have had a quarrel. It was for three or four months whispered that Mr. Crofts should say he had kicked the Lord Digby. At length it comes to Digby's ear, being told him by his brother Sir Lewis Dyve, who then watched an occasion to speak with Mr. Crofts. They met both upon the bowlingplace in the Spring-garden § by chance, both swords at their sides, Mr. Crofts a walking-stick in his hand, who walked off into the upper garden with the Lord Newport; Digby followed apace, joined himself with them, having got + To Sir Lewis's brother John, in July 1601, stood godfathers Henry Lord Mordaunt and William Lord Compton; godmother Lady Ratcliff of Elstow. This child died in February following. Sir Lewis's half-brother Lord Digby married Lady Anne Russell, daughter of the same Earl. § The spot contiguous to St. James's Park, which was the Vauxhall of the time. See Evelyn and Pepys, passim. 1929.] Biographical Memoirs of Sir Lewis Dyre. ten a cane from some friend he met, and walked along. Then the Lord Digby taking him aside into an alley, asked him whether he had spoken those disgraceful words of him; his answer, as Digby reports it, was, Well, what then? Wherewith with his cane he struck him cross the face a home blow. But Mr. Crofts saith, he gave him that blow before he made any answer. They drew their swords; but by some that came in, my Lord Newport, Lewis Dyve, and Herbert Price, they were parted. Thus sundered, Will. Crofts steps to Dyve and tells him, that, if his brother had any care of his honour, he should presently meet him at a place near Paddington, with his sword in his hand. Dyve replied, he should attend him there. There they met, and fought long enough to have killed each other; then were parted, no hurt done. "The King hearing of it, commanded the Earl Marshal and the two Lord Chamberlains to examine this business; which being reported to his Majesty, and so much contrariety found in their relations, he caused them to be re-examined, with purpose to call them into the Star-chamber. They were required to set their hands to their examinations, which Mr. Crofts did, and was presently set at liberty. The Lord Digby refused, so was committed to the custody of Laurence Whitaker; after three or four days was called before the Board, where he still refused to underwrite his examination, so then he was sent to the Fleet. 'Tis conceived he doth it to avoid an ore tenus, not but that by his oath he will confirm whatever he hath confessed."* In a letter, dated "Strand, Jan. 11" following, Mr. Garrard says: "My Lord Digby, for William Crofts' business in the Spring-garden, is called into the Star-chamber, and not only he, but Sir Lewis Dyve is charged to be a provoker and setter on of his brother the Lord Digby in this business."+ 203 No instance has been found of Sir Lewis Dyve speaking in Parliament. At the close of 1640 he preferred a petition to the House of Commons, apparently in reply to one of the County of Bedford; but the matter in dispute has not been ascertained. On the 26th of January, 1640-1, it was "Ordered, That the several petitions delivered this day from the Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen, of the County of Bedford, and the petitions this day exhibited by Sir Lewis Dyve, be referred to the Committee formerly appointed for a former petition exhibited by Sir Lewis Dyve ;" and, on the resumption of Committees on the 1st of April following, it was ordered "that Sir Lewis Dyve's Committee meet to-morrow at two of clock in the afternoon, in the Court of Requests." In February 1641-2 the officers of the Parliament intercepted a packet from Lord Digby, who had then taken refuge at Middleburgh in Holland, addressed to Mr. Secretary Nicholas. It contained two letters from his Lordship, one addressed to the Queen, and the other to Sir Lewis Dyve; which letters were for a length of time one of the butts of republican anathema. That to Sir Lewis was read forthwith; but the House manifested considerable hesitation before it could summon sufficient impudence to open that to the Queen. The first step taken, on the 14th of February, was to send their Serjeant-at-arms for Sir Lewis, "as a delinquent. At a conference with the Lords the Earl of Holland proposed that the letter should be sent to the King, with a copy of that to Sir Lewis Dyve; but the House resolved directly counter to this, and on the following day the Queen's letter was opened. Sir Lewis Dyve was on this Crofts in the Black-Fryars at a play, stands as it did when your brother went hence. Crofts stands confined to his father's house, because by striking he broke his bonds of 5000l. but there was a great difference in the parties that stood bound; my Lord Bedford [his father-in-law] and Sir John Strangwick [Strangways, his brother-inlaw,] stipulated for my Lord Digby; Tom Eliot and Jack Crofts, men of small fortunes, for the other; that they should keep the peace during the suit depending in the Star-chamber; the Lords have heard it, and reported their opinions to the King, and there it rests."-İbid. p. 426. Journals of the House of Commons. 204 Biographical Memoirs of Sir Lewis Dyve. Rush occasion examined at the bar, and afterwards referred for further examination to a committee, and again to a conference. For these purposes he was kept in the custody of the Serjeant-at-arms till the 17th; and then discharged, the House taking his father-in-law Sir John Strangeways' word for his re-appearance. • worth has printed both Lord Digby's letters, as well as the Message of the House to the King on the subject. His Lordship tells his brother, that, "If you knew how easie a passage it were, you would offer the King to come over for some few days your self;" a hint which, as will be found, Sir Lewis soon after followed. In the Parliament's "Declaration" respecting the King's attempt to enter Hull, they connected it with Lord Digby's letters; affirming that the fears which had directed their first movements regarding Hull, were "the more confirmed by the sight of some intercepted letters of the Lord Digby (a principal person of that party) written to the Queen and Sir Lewis Dyve, whereby that party discovered an endeavour to persuade his Majesty to declare himself, and retire into some place of safety in this kingdom, in opposition to ways of accommodation with his People.”† It appears from the Parliament's Remonstrance, May 26, 1642, that "Sir Lewis Dyve, a person that took not the least part in this late business of Hull, was presently despatched away into Holland ;" and there exists a letter of the Queen, in which she mentions having heard from the mouth of Sir Lewis, at the Hague, a detail of the recent proceedings.§ The departure of Sir Lewis was well-timed; for on the 29th of April the House of Commons " Ordered, That the Serjeant be required to bring in Sir Lewis Dyve, who is a delinquent by a former Order of the House;" and on the 9th of May, a letter was received" from Sir Christopher Wray and Mr. Hatcher, of the 6th of May, from Hull, concerning the pinnace that lay in the mouth of the river, Journals of the House of Commons; where these proceedings are detailed at a considerable length. + Rushworth, vol. iv. p. 570. Rushworth, vol. iv. p. 585. § Seward's Anecdotes, vol. 1. p. 320. [Sept. which, since it conveyed Sir Lewis Dyve into Holland, is returned to the road of Scarborough. Resolved upon the question, That Sir John Strangewayes shall be injoined to bring in Sir Lewis Dyve within a month, according to his former engagement." * Later in the same year Sir Lewis was engaged with Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice, and his brother Lord Digby, in an action near Worcester, in which they were victorious, but our hero received a wound in the shoulder. It was in this campaign also that, says Mrs. Hutchinson, "a troope of cavilliers, under the command of Sir L. Dyve, came to Stanton, near Owthorpe, and searcht Mr. Needham's house, who was a noted puritane in those dayes, and a Collonell in the Parliament's service, and Governor of Leicester. They found not him; for he hid himselfe in the gorse, and so escap'd them. This house being slightly plunder'd, they went to Hickling, and plunder'd another Paritaine house there; and were comming to Owthorpe, (of which Mr. Hutchinson having notice, went away to Leicestershire) but they, though they had orders to seize Mr. Hutchins son, came not at that time because the night grew on." + In the same summer (1642), we find an expectation of Sir Lewis becoming a host of royalty. Sir Thomas Tyrrell, of Thorp in Bedfordshire, in a letter dated "Throp, 25 July, 1642," says, "On Saturday night the King came to Huntingdon, where he now is; and we heare that he intends to be at Sir Lewis Dyve's house by Bedford on Wednesday, and soe to come into the county; then for Woodstock." It must have been about the same time that the Parliament commissioned Sir Samuel Luke, the original of Butler's immortal Hudibras, to appre hend Sir Lewis at his house at Bromham. On the 6th of August, in concurrence with a proposition from the Lords, the House of Commons " assented to the Order for the indemnity of Sir Samuel Luke, and others, in the County of Bedford, for their endeavour to apprehend Sir Lewis Dyve." § * Journals of the House. + Memoirs of Col. Hutchinson, p. 102. Seward's Anecdotes, vol. 11. p. 510. § Journals of the House. |